Last of 20 Defendants Sentenced in Large-Scale Meth Distribution Ring

Last of 20 Defendants Sentenced in Large-Scale Meth Distribution Ring

BOISE—David Echevarria, 51, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to 110 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered the defendant to pay a $2,500 fine. Echevarria pleaded guilty on January 30, 2015.

The distribution ring involved two distribution cells in the Treasure Valley: one led by Jason Holmberg now serving a prison term of 180 months, the other by Andrew Polney now in federal prison on a 130-month sentence. Co-defendant, Kenneth Jones, in Sacramento, California, supplied multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine, which was transported to the Treasure Valley for distribution. Jones is serving a prison term of 130 months. The group operated from about June 2012, through the time of the various arrests on April 18, 2013, and May 23, 2013. On April 9, 2013, Echevarria was stopped with approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine which he had obtained from Polney.

“Investigation and prosecution of large distribution organizations such as this are very demanding, but the effort is essential for keeping our communities safe and reducing this destructive substance in our area,” said Olson. “For many of these defendants, facing prosecution, accepting responsibility, admitting guilt, and being sentenced has been very beneficial in helping them to return to a productive life free of destructive drugs.”

The case is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Boise Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Nampa Police Department. Other federal agencies participating in the OCEDTF program include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Marshals Service.

The OCDETF program is a federal, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.